Art & Design

The Course

The Art & Design GCSE offers a broad practical course exploring practical and critical/contextual work through a range of 2D and/or 3D processes and new media and technologies, maximising opportunities for a stimulating experience of art, craft and design making activities.

Course Content

The course is made up of a Portfolio of Work accounting for 60% of the final mark and a Sustained Focus Unit (externally set exam) undertaken in year 11 which accounts for 40% of the final mark.

Portfolio (coursework)

This is internally set and developed from personal and/or given starting points and started in September of Year 10. A coherent body of work must be selected and presented by year 11 candidates for moderation in early May. Preparatory work is developed in sketchbooks and/or A1 boards leading to a final outcome which should take up to 15 hrs to complete. All coursework must be completed by mid January to allow candidates to concentrate on the external exam.

Sustained Focus (externally set exam)

The WJEC examination paper is issued at the beginning of January in year 11 and will include images (picture starters), themes (one word starters) and tasks (prescriptive questions). Candidates choose 1 assignment to pursue and are given 10 weeks to prepare and develop preparatory work and final compositional ideas before sitting a controlled 10 hour exam in the art rooms at the end of March beginning of April.

Other Information

1.Do I have to have good drawing skills to take the subject? It is advised that you will have reached a good level 5 or above and demonstrated some ability to record from life. GCSE Art is not just about drawing. Pupils may demonstrate excellent skills in printmaking, photography or 3D work.

2.Is there a written exam? All work is purely practical. Pupils are expected to provide the examiner with written annotation and will be expected to write about artists’ work, formulate personal opinions, compare and contrast artists work studied and provide comprehensive evaluations of their work.

3.Is there a lot of homework for GCSE Art? Yes there is weekly homework and pupils will be required to work independently in their own time following advice from their teacher. If you love the subject, this will not be a problem!